PHOTOCATALYTIC ACTIVITIES OF BI2O3, WO3, AND FE2O3 - AN ASSESSMENT THROUGH DECOMPOSITION OF PEROXOMONOSULFATE IN VISIBLE RADIATION

Abstract

Abstract Bi2O3 semiconductor powder (Eg=2.8–2.9 eV) was chosen for the first time to effect photocatalysis and was found to decompose peroxomonosulfate (PMS) with visible light of λ>400 nm. Doping of Bi2O3 with Cu(II)-ion considerably enhanced the photocatalytic efficiency. The effects of variation of (i) the [dopant] in Cu(II)/Bi2O3, (ii) the catalyst amount, and (iii) the initial [PMS] on the rate of decomposition of PMS were investigated. It was observed that (a) 4 atomic % was the optimum [dopant] for Cu(II)/Bi2C3, (b) the rate increased linearly with increase in catalyst amount, and (c) the decomposition of PMS followed a Langmuir kinetics in the concentration range, [..